PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH AT VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITIES: SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS

Abstract

This study aims at exploring teachers’ perceptions of and engagement in professional development and then offering implications for both teachers and administrators. To achieve these aims, two research instruments were employed: (1) a questionnaire administered to 30 teachers from three universities in Hanoi and (2) in-depth interviews with six of them. From the data, the study puts forth some implications for teachers, for example: they should play an active role in their own professional development; participate more in activities such as conference, action research and journal publication; and strengthen the collaboration among colleagues. Additionally, administrators are suggested to set teaching standard; support teachers in terms of time and money; encourage learning culture and invest in purchasing updated books and publications about language teaching.